The United Nations has assumed a prominent post-cold war role as an agent of democratic transitions in Third World states long torn by civil strife. Called “postconflict peace building” by the secretary general, this new brand of UN peacekeeping mission has seen notable success in countries such as El Salvador, Mozambique, Cambodia, and Namibia. But the record is mixed. The United Nations faces serious challenges in peace building because of dilemmas generated by deep tensions between the practices of peace building and long-standing UN principles of sovereignty, neutrality, and securing a democratic peace. Even when these dilemmas can be resolved, the United Nations confronts three constraints that fundamentally limit its capability to build the peace: the political will of UN member-states, the will and ability of local actors, and the capacity of local institutions. The long-term success of the United Nations' foray into peace building will depend in part on how skillfully UN officials are able to draw and apply lessons from the first 5 years of UN peace building and to address these conflicts of principle and practice.
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